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How Did The Enlightenment Influence The American Revolution

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The Enlightenment was a period of time in which revolutions are bound to take place. When new thinking arises within a population, sooner or later people will begin to question authority and make their own decisions on government, laws, religion, and the way life is lived in general. As soon as influential thinkers such as Montesquieu Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, and many others began spreading their new ways of thinking with the rest of the people under British control, the American Revolution was born. Enlightenment thinkers such as these used their work to influence colonists to break away from Britain’s control and create a new form of American government. New ideas of government and thoughts of rebellion were …show more content…

Ratified on July 4, 1776, this document is basically an announcement or explanation used to sever all ties from Great Britain. In the document, Thomas Jefferson lists all the colonial grievances against King George III. He then makes it clear that all humans should have certain rights that cannot be taken away, known as unalienable rights. One of the most famous quotes in The Declaration of Independence stated by Thomas Jefferson makes these unalienable rights clear. He says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This quote, along with the entire document, is extremely influential do to the fact that it gave colonist a sense of freedom and importance. These unalienable rights gave them a feel of independence that we still celebrate today. The Declaration of Independence was also the end of the American Revolution, signifying their final victory against Great Britain. In addition, The Declaration of Independence also laid the groundwork for the American government. The morals and rights written in the document set up how American would be run and how the government would treat the people living

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